Although Melrose was sitting in a warm carriage as the rebels traveled through the woods, she didn't feel any comfort. She was nervous, angry, and frightened. Did they want to use her to blackmail the King? She couldn't think of another reason why they wanted to capture her.
But they were just a group of rebels. Even if they had more than two dozen highly skilled men, they were still no match to the royal army. She couldn't understand where their confidence was coming from.
She had studied the map of Arden even if she hadn't been to many places outside the town before, and she remembered that East Brownsville was near the border where some of Arden's military troops were deployed. But why didn't they come when the village was attacked?
It was impossible for these rebels to have such courage to wipe out an entire village near a military camp and even abduct the King's bride if they didn't have a backer. The military troops must be aware of the chaos in the village but they didn't come to the villagers' aid because they were restrained by someone who held a high position in the court.
In the middle of her thoughts, she saw through the window that it was already dark. The rebels stopped to light their torches but before they could, a rustle of the wind came and someone appeared from the shadows.
Melrose was shocked when she saw who arrived.
It was Lord Knight. Alone.
The rebels' leader gave his spear to someone else and clapped as he looked at Reed with a cunning smile. "What a pleasant surprise this is, Lord Knight. I didn't know you wanted to come with us. You should have told me."
"It won't be a surprise if I told you, will it?" Reed replied calmly that made Melrose more nervous.
She didn't know if she should be thankful to him that he came to save her, or curse him for coming alone when he knew the rebels were more than two dozen. Even if he could fight well, which she was yet to see, she doubted if he could make it alive. What was he thinking?
She wanted to believe that Lord Knight was a smart man and wouldn't kill himself for a lady he wasn't even well-acquainted of, but even if he had sent someone to call for reinforcement, there was no way it would arrive anytime soon.
"I have to admit you are a brave man, Lord Knight. But you are a fool to think that you can leave this place alive. I gave you a chance and it's a pity how you wasted it."
"I'm here to collect the payment."
"What payment?" The leader was confused. "Do you want to take money from us in exchange for the lady?"
That couldn't be, Melrose thought to herself. Even if Lord Knight didn't live in the palace as a prince, it was obvious in his demeanor that he was a rich and influential man. But what exactly was he planning? She refused to believe that he was someone who would jump foolishly to the lion's den without a plan.
"I have money. I don't need that," Reed answered.
"Then what payment are you talking about?"
"Didn't I mention how much a glimpse of the lady cost?"
It was Melrose who turned cold when she heard what Lord Knight said. His tone was serious and lethal as if he had all the means to punish the bastards surrounding him.
The rebels laughed mockingly.
"You must be joking, Lord Knight. How can you collect our lives when you are just all by yourself?"
"Turn your head in the opposite direction, Lady Lewis. Don't look this way unless you want to see something horrendous," Reed demanded.
Melrose gasped, wondering what he was planning to do. But in the end, she did as she was told. She turned at the opposite window where all she could see was the tall trees and the darkness looming around the woods.
The next moment, her lips parted and quivered when she heard disturbing shrieks and cracking sounds as if something was being ripped. Her tied hands clutched on her dress tightly as she breathed.
"This is what you get when you bark at the wrong tree, you fool," Reed muttered under his breath before he twisted the neck of the rebels' leader. His eyes were blood red.
It didn't take him a minute to kill all of them. His hands were already aching to rip their throats earlier, and it was so hard to control his bloodlust but he had to. He could only allow people to see his true color when he was serving death to them.
"L-Lord Knight?" Melrose called when silence enveloped the place.
Just when she was about to turn her head to see the situation, Reed appeared in front of the window. His eyes were so dark that his look got her startled.
The fright in her eyes made his jaw clench.
"I won't hurt you," he said coldly.
Melrose was confused why he said that. Her eyes wandered around him and saw some blood stains in his shirt and coat. She could smell the reek of rust from it.
"Are you hurt?" her gentle voice surprised Reed. He thought she was scared of him but it seemed like she was worried that he got himself hurt. What a foolish human she was to worry for a devil.
"No," he replied and opened the door of the carriage.
"What happened-"
"Don't ask nor look. You won't like it." His eyes fell to the rope tightly tied around her wrists. His eyes darkened and wished he had the chance to torture those bastards before killing them.
"Did you… kill them all?" Melrose asked in curiosity. She was sure that the lord was no match to the big group who had better weapons while he had nothing with him. She wanted to know how he did it. Even if he was capable enough, it was impossible to kill them all in that short span of time.
"What do you think?"
Reed was about to step back when he was done untying the rope, but he went still when Melrose suddenly placed her hand on his upper abdomen where the stain of blood was.
"What are you doing?" he asked in a hard tone.
"I was trying to confirm that you are really not hurt." She looked up to meet his gaze while her hand was still pressed gently at his abdomen.
"And what do you think?"
Melrose removed her hand and exhaled as if she was holding her breath this whole time.
"It wasn't your blood. If there was a wound beneath your clothes, I would feel it pulsating."
"You are knowledgeable, I see. But you should have known that you are not allowed to touch a man like that."
Melrose narrowed her eyes because he sounded like he was afraid of being sullied.
"In the field of medicine, I believe there are no rules, my lord."
"Enough of that," Reed closed the subject. "We better leave the woods unless you want to be the dinner of wolves tonight."
"Let's go back to East Brownsville."
He leered at her darkly. "Why would we? The rebels must have killed all the villagers. There was nothing for you to see in that place but dead bodies."
She shook her head. "I heard the rebels talking. They imprisoned some villagers in the dungeon. We should help them."
"A person who can't save herself shouldn't try saving others, Lady Lewis. You know what you need to do? Go back to the town and stay where you ought to be."
"You don't understand, Lord Knight. There are people who need help. What if they are wounded and have nothing to eat? How about the children…"
"It's not safe-"
"I have you."
Reed was stunned.
"You just saved me, didn't you? It means you are capable enough. I will be safe as long as you are with me."